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In this workshop attendees will have the opportunity to build a high-performance 3D bioprinter based on the open-source syringe-pump extruder developed by the Regenerative Biomaterials & Therapeutics Group in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.
To do this, we will adapt an affordable desktop 3D printer used for printing plastic and replace the motion control board and plastic extruder with our custom syringe pump extruder, termed a Replistruder. Our team has extensive experience making these modifications, releasing these designs as open-source, and publishing detailed instructions. For this workshop we will be modifying a low-cost commercially-available desktop 3D printer. In the past we have used the FlashForge Finder, but expect to replace this with a newer model 3D printer. The 3D printer (~$350), and the remaining control boards (~$200), Replistruder hardware (~$150), tools (~$65), and printed plastic parts (~$50) in total cost < $1,000. This cost is included in the workshop registration fee and will be provided for each group. The bioprinter modification using the Replistruder will enable use of syringes ranging in volume from 1-10 mL, with a build volume of approximately 10x15x5 cm, extrusion filament diameter down to 80 µm and layer height down to 40 µm. The workshop will focus on a low-cost high performance single-extruder system optimized for FRESH 3D bioprinting that will excel at printing most fluids and gels. For multi-material bioprinting applications, additional modifications can be made to the Finder, or alternative bioprinter platforms can be used as previously demonstrated (Science 2019). For sterile printing, the 3D bioprinter is also small enough to be placed directly in a biosafety cabinet, with dimensions of 17x17x17 inches.